04/11/2017

I am currently on the Atkins diet, phase 1, and I am loving it! During the first phase I am restricted to about 20g of net carbohydrates* per day. This muffin has only 2g of net carbs! This works really well for my body since carbs are difficult for me to digest anyways. Here is a quick recipe for a "muffin" using ground flax seed instead of flour. I adapted it from a recipe on the Atkins website.

08/03/2014

These are a little putzy because of all the ingredients but easy to make and very delicious. The recipe comes from a wonderful cookbook, The Healthy Gluten Free Life (Credicott, 2012), which I bought at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum last year. I especially love the full-page color photos.

Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet, and mix on low until mostly incorporated. Add warm water, a little at a time, until the dough is moist and thick, but still capable of being "poured" into the muffin cups like a traditional muffin batter. You may not use all the water, or you may need a bit more.

Fold in the blueberries.

In a small bowl, mix crumble topping with a fork until crumbly.

Scoop muffin batter into prepared muffin cups and top each with a spoonful of crumble topping.

Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into comes out clean.

These muffins freeze wonderfully. Cool completely and freeze in an air-tight container. To use, thaw at room temp and heat in the microwave to warm.

Note: I made 12 muffins but the recipe yields 18. I guess it depends on how large you like your muffins.

05/17/2014

I just started a new job (same company), and while I was unpacking my things at my new desk I noticed a "Paleo Diet" book displayed proudly on my cube neighbor's desk. Turns out that Erin has eaten a strict paleo diet for the past three years and keeps the book on display because people always ask her what the heck "paleo" means! Great idea to keep the book at work. She has inspired me to try some new recipes -- like this one that she found on a blog called My Heart Beets. It's easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 cup full-fat coconut milk (stir it well before measuring)

pinch of salt (optional)

ghee for slathering (optional)

Method:

Mix almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut milk and salt together.

Preheat a 9.5-inch non-stick pan over medium heat and pour half of the batter into the pan.

After several minutes the batter will fluff up and look firm/mostly cooked; flip it over to cook the other side (be patient, this takes time).

Remove from pan. Repeat with second half of the batter.

Notes:

To make smaller naans that cook faster, pour 1/4 cup batter at a time.

If you want to make dessert crepes instead of naan, omit salt and pour the batter as thin as you would like it to be.

If you are not using a non-stick pan, you will need to use some sort of oil/ghee/fat to keep the batter from sticking.